Submarine diving valve



Feb. 5, 1935. G. 1.. MOOS SUBMARINE DIVING VALVE Filed May 23, 1934 2Sheets-Sheet 1 lull o 5 8 Feb. 5, 1935. G. L. Moos 1,990,130

SUBMARINE DIVING VALVE Filed May 25, 1954 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb.5, 1935 SUBMARINE DIVING; VALVE Gottlieb Leonz Moos, Eastwood, nearSydney.

Australia j a 'ApplicationMay 23, 1934, Serial No. 727,196 In AustraliaJune 13,1933

z'clai'ms. (01. 61 -70) This invention relates to improvements in theart of submarine diving and includes means whereby air pressures inexcess'of atmospheric pressure may be 'maintained in a diving suitwithout vitiation of the breathing air, at consid-' erable depths belowthe surface of the water.

It has been common practice for many years in connection with the art ofsubmarine diving to provide a vessel such as a chamber'or a divingdress, in which persons or a person may descend to depths belowthesurface of water, and in order to support life, atmospheric air atconsiderable pressure is pumped into the chamber or dress as the casemay be.

It is also the practice to'regulate the pressure of the air supply tothe chamber or dress'so as to maintain a pressure therein considerablyabove atmospheric pressure, such pressure being increasedproportionately with the depth of water to which descent is made. v

The present invention has been devised with I the object of enabling aperson to descend toconsiderable depths and to regulate the air forbreathing to his requirements;

In diving suits in use at the present time means are provided for theadmission of air under pressure to a helmet, the air being discharged,with the vitiated air, from a valve in the helmet disposed usually atthe back of the helmet near the neck portion and below the nose level,such valve being in a position to be controlled manually by the diverby'means of an adjusting screw acting upon a light spring provided toclose the valve against the internal air pressure.

' The common practice is to adjust the valve so as to allow the air inthe helmet to discharge into the water at a pressure above that due tothe head of water, it being thought thatthe pressure was necessary tolift the valve against the head of Water above the valve. I

According to the present invention the seat of the valve for thedischarge of pressure air from the helmet is disposed parallel to thesurface of the water or the valve is protected by a cover or chamberhaving outlet orifices for the discharged air, situated in the uppermostportion thereof.

The effectiveness of the apparatus at reduced pressure will varyaccording to the position of the valve seat or the position of theorifices in the cap. The valve seat should preferably be parallel to thesurface of the water or the cap over the valve should have the holes forthe discharge of the air in such position that the air passes directlyupwards in a manner perpendicular to the surface of the water. Tocounteract against ineffectiveness, for instance as when stoop'ing orleaningforward to grasp an object, it-should be arrangedthat the valveor the valve body maintains a normally adjusted position, for

instance; this may be done by means of a flexible pipe or a universalcoupling, orswivel joint, with thehelmet or chamber, such adjustmentbeing assisted by a weight or a float adapted 'to' keep the position ofthe valve-such that its seat is always parallel to the surface of thewater;

If the nature of the valve is such that this cannot be done provisionshould be made'to protect the valve by a cap or cover, the opening inthe top of which is always maintained uppermost irrespective of theposition assumed by the diver or chamber.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood referencewill now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate two formsof valves adapted to discharge air below water.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates a valve constructed in accordance with the presentinvention connected to a diving helmet the latter being shown in brokenlines.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the valve shown in Figure 1 drawn to a largerscale.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the valve shown in Figure 2 on theline 33 thereof.

Figure 4 is a plan View of a valve constructed .in accordance with thepresent invention and I wherein the valve face is disposed in a verticalplane. I

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

The present invention depends for its operation upon the orifice ororifices for the escape of air from the discharge valve or a casing, orcap surrounding the said valve, being-disposed in such manner that theair stream from the said orifice or orifices passes directly upwards ina direction substantially at right angles to a radius of such orifice ororifices.

In Figure 1 the valve, the subject of the pres-- The sleeve is adaptedto be secured to the helmet for instance by screws or bolts passedthrough the holes in the said-sleeve 8, see Figure 3. The lock nut 9engages a flange 11 on the valve body 6 and retains the latter in aswivelling condition with relation to the helmet 7.

The valve body 6v has an air port 12 leading from the helmet'Z'throughthesleeveB said air port being adapted to be closed by a valve13 under action of a light spring 14, and under the control of the diverby means of the handle 5, I

the operation of which turns a cap 15 with relation to the body 6 andaffects a valve 133" 5 The cap 15 is preferably disposed above the valve13 said cap 15 having-air outlet orifices'16 through which the air fromthe interior of the helmet 7 is discharged into thewater space above thevalve when the apparatus is submerged.

In order to maintain the valve as a whole in its;

charge air, said valve construction being freely mounted upon the saidobject and being provided with an orifice ororificesthrough which theair, to be discharged passes in a. perpendicular man'- normal positionwith the discharge orifice ororificesin a condition to allowthedischarged air to 7 pass upwardly in a perpendicular manner from theorifice or orifices, the valve body has an extension 17' which isweighted so as to keep the valve in its normal position irrespective ofthe position of the helmet '7, for instance such change of position aswould be-caused by the diver stooping or leaningforward. Alternativelythe weight 1'7 may be replaced by a fioat connected to the valvebody 6.7

In the valve illustrated in Figures 4' and 5 corresponding numeralsindicate corresponding parts asin Figures 1 to 3 but in this instancethe valve is disposed in a vertical position instead of in a horizontalposition.

The cap 18 in Figures 4 and 5 is in the form of a perforated'sleeve'upon, which a weighted outer portion 19 is freely mounted bymeans of the lock ring 20. Movementof the sleeve 14 to situated. I

control the valve 13 is effected by movement of the handle 5. i

As in the former case the outlet orifices 16 for the discharge of airinto the water are maintained in their normal position, namely disposedin such manner that the air passes directly upwards Y It will beappreciated that the orifices 16 through which the air is discharged maybe so arranged that some if not all of them are disposed in such manneras to permit a substantially perpendicular issue of the discharged airwith respect to the plane in which the orifice is I claim:

mersible object from which it is desired to disner from said orifice ororifices when the latter is or are in a'plane approximately parallel tothe surface of the water above the said valve, said;

a valve body freelycoupled to said'sleeve, a valve' in the valve body,means for maintainingthe valvebody in a predetermined position, saidvalve body having an orifice or orifices through which air isdischarged-from the said object.

GOTTLIEBLEONZ Moos

